Tanums kyrka, in Tanumshede, is the parish church of Tanum, on a site said to have held a church since the 1100s. The present neoclassical building replaced a medieval predecessor in the late 1820s and remains one of the earliest churches of its style in Bohuslän.
Building work began in 1825, intended at first as a rebuilding of the older church, but the existing structure was judged too poor to save, and a wholly new church was built instead to designs by G F Oppman of Uddevalla. It was brought into use in 1829, with a formal inauguration the following year. A tower room preserves fittings salvaged from the demolished medieval church, including a carved vault stone with a face in relief, alongside a painted wall scene showing the old church, attributed to Brunius around 1830.
The exterior is simple and restrained: a whitewashed, roughcast nave with a red-tiled saddle roof, a west tower with round-arched, copper-shuttered sound openings and a curved copper cupola topped by a cross. The main entrance, reached by a stone stair, sits beneath the date 1826 worked in iron. Inside, the church is bright and open, its colours chosen to emphasise the classical detailing of the altarpiece and pulpit, which dominate the straight-ended chancel.
The altar and pulpit, both dating from 1854 and made by J. M. Ruthenbeck of Uddevalla to earlier designs by J. F. Weinberg, are grey-marbled and gilded, with the pulpit's tribune-like form recalling classical models. A large crucifix now hanging on the south wall is said to have stood in the altarpiece niche between 1930 and 1981, when it was later returned to the south wall — sources describe this swap but do not fully agree on later positioning, so visitors may notice the crucifix's current placement differs from earlier descriptions.
The octagonal granite font, carved in 1907 with a gilded inscription, stands near the chancel. The organ case, designed in 1829 by Weinberg for an instrument built by Söderling around 1860, was retained when a new organ of 29 stops was installed by Marcussen & Søn, incorporating five stops from the earlier instrument.
Two bells hang in the tower, cast in 1674 and 1739 respectively and both recast in Jönköping in 1828. Across the road from the church stands the Kalleby runestone, a reminder of the site's much older history.
Provider-listed schedule, applicable on 12 Oct 2026. All times are local to Sweden.
| Monday | 09:00–15:00 |
|---|---|
| Tuesday | 09:00–15:00 |
| Wednesday | 09:00–15:00 |
| Thursday | 09:00–15:00 |
| Friday | 09:00–14:00 |
| Saturday | Not listed |
| Sunday | Not listed |
The opening hours apply on weekdays excluding public holidays.
Check access with the parish before travelling. Services and seasonal changes can affect visits.
Listed by the provider; availability has not been independently checked. An unlisted facility is not necessarily unavailable.
A listed ramp does not confirm step-free access throughout the building.
Tanums församling
Tanums församling
Tanums kyrka, in Tanumshede, is the parish church of Tanum, on a site said to have held a church since the 1100s. The present neoclassical building replaced a medieval predecessor in the late 1820s and remains one of the earliest churches of its style in Bohuslän.
Kvillevägen 4, 45732, TANUMSHEDE
Explore this church: Tanums kyrkaChurch information: Svenska kyrkan, Platser · CC BY 4.0. Each church page includes its credits and visiting notes.
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View church details: Södra Åsarps kyrkaSources, credits and English adaptations are identified on each church page. Provider data: Svenska kyrkan, Platser · CC BY 4.0.
Provider catalogue data: Svenska kyrkan, Platser, CC BY 4.0. Separately credited descriptions retain their stated source and licence terms. Catalogue and visiting data reformatted from the provider. The English guide combines and abridges separately credited sources below.
Provider record updated: 30 Sep 2024. This is not an independent verification date.
Source record: 5664f0fe-1915-4648-84f3-4cba1c94abee
This English guide combines, abridges and translates the sources below with AI assistance, with editorial contributions by Churches in Sweden. It has not been independently verified. The adapted guide text is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Photographs and map data have their own terms.